Improvement in potato-diggers



. D. SMITH.

Potato-Digger.

Y No.220,096. Patented Sept. 30,1879.

WITNESSES NVENTDR A'TTOR N EYS,

N.FETERS, PHOTO LITHOGRAPHER WASHXNGTON. n c.

l l L l UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE;

DAVID SMITH, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-DIGG ERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,096, datedSeptember 30, 1879; application filed April 4, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID SMITH, of J amestown, in the county ofUhautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Potato-Diggers and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and useit, reference being. had to the accompanying drawings, which form a partof this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements. in potato-diggers; and isdesigned to provide a construction which will permit avertically-reciprocating sitter to be operated by having a rear axle,provided with groundwheels having radial projections on their treads. V

Herelotore sifters which have been loosely connected at their forwardextremity to a digging-share, and adapted to have vibrating movement ina vertical plane, have been operated by contact of a wheel against theirunder surface, said wheel being journaled on a rigid extensionprojecting rearwardly from the share, and having its periphery made inany desired form, so as to provide radial or cam projections whichstrike against the undersu'rface of the sifter.

In addition to such a construction, sitters have been made consisting ofrods whose forward ends are fastened in holes formed in thedigging-share, and whose rear extremities are secured to a transverseaxle provided with ground-wheels, made as oblong earns, the constructionbeing such that when one cam-wheel had its greatest diameter in avertical line the other cam-wheel would have its greatest diameter in ahorizontal line, the operation causing a lateral rocking movement, andnot susceptible of a longitudinal vibrating movement in a verticalplane.

My invention consists of a sitter whose forward extremity is looselyconnected to the digging-share, and whose rear extremity is providedwith a bent axle, upon which are journaled grounctwheels' whose treadsare made with radial projections, said axle having its main longitudinalportion depressed and confotrmed to the transverse curved surface of thesi ter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is.a plan view of the potato-digger. Fig. 2 isa view, in side elevation, of the same.

The digging-shareAis provided with the two inclined runners B, whichraise the rear portion of the same well up above the workingpoint of theshare, and cause the latter to be in horizontal inclination, as shown.To the elevated rear extremity of this share the sifter O is connectedby staples a, horizontally se* cured to the forward portion of thesifter, and engaging with vertical eyesb, which latter depend from theunder side of the corresponding portion of the share.

This manner of connection permits the sifter to be freely raised andlowered in pivotal movement upon said connecting mechanism.

The rear portion of the sitter is supported upon a bent axle, e, whichhas its journalbearings formed in a horizontal plane above its main orcentral portion, which latter is depressed and made concave,corresponding to the transverse form of the sifter.

This construction of the axle causes the lat ter to be flush with theupper surface of the sifter, and to constitute a rear extension to its,workin g-face.

In order to produce a vertical reciprocating movement of the sitter bythe passage of its bearing-wheels over the ground, and at the same timepreserve its normal position, so that one of its longitudinal sides maynotbe'elevated while the other side is lowered, I make the said wheels Dwith radial projections cl. These projections, formed, respectively, atright angles to the periphery or tread of their corresponding wheels,cause the latter to imparta rising and falling movement simultaneouslyto both sides of the rear portion of the sifter.

In thus describing my invention 1 have restricted myself to. thedescription of partsformin g the same, and have made no reference to theconnecting parts of the same, not consti tuting a material part of thesame. It will, however, be understood that said parts not specificallydescribed may be of any suitable construction or material; that anydesired inclination may be given to the digging-share, and the latter,together with the sifter, may be made in any suitable form of anydesired substance.

Having fully described my invention, what conformed to the transversecurved surface of I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters thesifter substantially as set forth. Patent, is In testimony that I claimthe foregoing I In a potato-digger, the sifter 0, whose forhave hereuntoset my hand and seal this 25th ward extremity is loosely connected tothe digday of M arch, 1879. gin g-share A, and whose rear extremity isprovided with the bent axle 0, upon which are ID SMIDH' journaled thewheels D, whose treads are made Witnesses:

with the radial projections, said axle having FRANK E. SIMONS,

its main longitudinal portion depressed and A. M. SMITH.

